Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd.'s (KS:005930) created a lot of excitement, when it hinted at a blowout quarter, in pre-earnings talk. But that excitement has since been overshadowed by Apple, Inc.'s (AAPL) own record-setting 3 months. Now Samsung has popped back into the picture, with its actual earnings results.

I. A Virtual Tie With Apple

After jumping out to a substantial 65 percent sales lead over Apple in Q3 2011, Samsung is now in a virtual tie with its surging rival in global sales. Samsung moved 36.5 million units in Q4 2011, compared to 37 million from Apple.

Smartphone sales were a boon for Samsung, whose telecommunications unit reported 17.82T Won (~$15.33B USD) in revenue. That's approximate 38 percent of the South Korean electronics conglomerate's total 47.3T Won (~$42.14B USD) in sales. The unit also pulled in net revenue (profit) of 2.64T Won (~$2.35B USD), over half of Samsung's total profit of 5.30T Won (~$4.72B USD). Overall the telecom unit’s revenue was up 52 percent versus last year, while profit was up 79 percent.

Speaking of Apple, Samsung also continues to profit off the success of its rival (and others), thanks to its semiconductor division. Aside from smartphones, semiconductor sales accounted for the majority of the remaining profit for Samsung. The unit reported 2.31T Won (~$2.06B USD) on sales of 9.17T Won (~$8.17B USD). Samsung is reportedly the only remaining profitable DRAM maker. It continues to perform strongly in the system-on-a-chip business, and it actively expanding production on both the 3x nm (DRAM, SoC) and 2x nm (NAND) nodes.

Samsung's Digital Media and Appliances (DM&A) and display panel businesses struggled amidst slowing stables and the floods in Thailand that hurt component supply. They did remain profitable, though. The DM&A pulled in 16.96T Won (~$15.11B USD) in sales, but made only 570B Won (~$507.8M USD) in profit.

Overall this will be remembered as a very strong quarter for Samsung, to cap off a record setting year. But it will also be overshadowed by Apple's surprising comeback.

II. "Sammy" Loses a Round in its German Case Against Apple

In related news, Samsung has lost yet another lawsuit against Apple, this time in Germany. Both Samsung [1][2] and Apple [1][2][3][4] have been on losing streaks of late in their lawsuit campaigns against each other. International courts seem to increasingly be opting to throw out as much of these lawsuits as possible, wary of giving either company an unfair competitive advantage. Both companies are under investigation in the European Union for abusing the intellectual property system.

Judge Andreas Voss, the presiding judge in Mannheim Regional Court, Mannheim, Germany, gave no reason for the dismissal, according to Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents. Samsung could still appeal his decision to the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court, but it's unclear if it will.

Samsung still has 3 more 3G/UMTS cases against Apple in Germany, which it hopes will go better than its last two. Each of the cases deals with specific patents. Apple is currently pursuing a new sales ban on Samsung's new tablets, which Samsung redesigned specially to try to satisfy the German court's earlier design infringement claims.

A lower court ruled that the redesign was sufficient, allowing Samsung's tablet sales to resume. Now it remains to be seen whether that ruling holds.

"Google fired a shot heard 'round the world, and now a second American company has answered the call to defend the rights of the Chinese people." -- Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.)